Under Covers
by JacyntheD
Summary: When a zealous fanatic and an international arms dealer join forces, it's up to Bobby to save the day with the help of his new undercover partner: Jaycey Matthews. But will working with Jaycey prove the biggest danger of all or his greatest victory?
1. Prologue

Prologue

The silence in the squad car was oppressive as Sgt Jaycey Matthews and her partner and fiancé Lt Steven Nelson patrolled the streets of Chicago. Every so often Jaycey felt Steven's eyes stray to her before returning to the road. _He's probably wondering what anniversary he forgot._

"I've been thinking about trying out for S.W.A.T." Jaycey suddenly blurted.

The car lurched before resuming its smooth cruising. Steven carefully chose his words before answering. "I think you'd be happier there. But tell me something, Jayce." He darted a quick glance at her. "Does this have anything to do with the silent treatment I've been getting all day because if it is, that's so not cool?"

Jaycey turned in her seat to face him. "I didn't know how you would react so I tried to find the best way to broach the subject, not that you could tell by my very tactful approach." She grinned self-derisively.

Steven turned on a side street and stopped the car. "What do you mean you didn't know how I would react? You are the one person who understands me best so if you really think about it, you know exactly what I'll say."

He was right of course. If there was one thing Jaycey could count on, it was Steven's unrelenting support. At seven, having just lost her father and for all intent and purpose her mother, Steven had represented stability, a shoulder she could cry on when life got tough and she missed her dad so much she thought her heart would break all over. Their innocent friendship had slowly blossomed into love when she was seventeen and she realized that Steven – the boy next door – was the single most important person in her life. It was more than just his good looks even though his tall muscular body, golden blonde locks and piercing blue eyes could easily land him the cover of GQ. Beyond the pretty façade was a depth of character that made Steven an exceptional cop, friend, brother and lover.

"I think you should do it," Steven said just as she knew he would. "You're just wasting your talent on patrol work and for what? So Sandra can sleep better at night?"

Jaycey snickered at the mention of her mother. "Are we talking about the same Sandra? Because the one I know would rather have me selling lingerie at Fredericks of Hollywood than sitting here in this uniform. In fact, I think she might even prefer me working one of those hotlines we busted last month."

Steven's laughing blue eyes looked her up and down. "I don't know. I think you look pretty hot in the uniform," he said, meaningfully.

"To all units, officers request backup at the corner of W. Adams Street and Ogden Avenue. Officers under fire, I repeat, Officers under fire...requesting backup at the corner of W. Adams Street and Ogden Avenue."

Steven had started the car even before the end of the call. "Central this is unit 35. We're about four minutes out." Jaycey called, bracing herself as the car did a U-turn and careened down the road. She fastened her seat belt before picking her gun, making sure it was ready to see some action. Jaycey just hated those calls requesting backup; not because of the work, but because it reminded her how her father had not even been given the chance to request backup the day he was killed. A junkie had opened fire on his partner and him, leaving her mom a widow and her, an orphan at the tender age of 7.

"Don't do this," Steven said, speaking to her for the first time since the call came. She looked at him and noticed his eyes were on the road, his movements sure and efficient as he maneuvered the car in traffic. "Don't think I don't know what is going through your mind, baby," he added, darting a quick look her way. "It's the same thing every time."

"I just can't help it. I don't want some other kid going through what I went through, that's all," Jaycey said defensively as Steven halted their patrol car next to another one. They burst into action, the conversation forgotten as gunshots resonated in a back alley. Running to the trunk of the car, they each pulled out their Kevlar vest and donned them in record time, joining two other patrolling officers who'd answered the dispatched call.

"What's the status?" Jaycey asked them, her gun drawn and at the ready.

"Perp seems to be on the roof of one of those two buildings," Lt. Jimmy Kelso, as his nametag read, answered. "Officers Cornell and Jamieson are ambushed in that alley, behind the dumpsters there," he pointed.

"Are they hurt?" Steven asked peering around the wall. A shot rang out and he took cover again, swearing.

"We don't know for sure. The shooter has gone a bit gung-ho on us and they're not answering their radio. I think it best if you try to sneak up on him from the other end of the alley. We'll cover this end and try to draw him out. He's bound to run out of ammo sometime."

Jaycey and Steven took off at a dead run only slowing their steps when they neared the back alley. They could hear the gunshots a lot clearer now, but there was still no sign of the crazy shooter anywhere. "Come on, show your face, you crazy bastard," Jaycey muttered under her breath. An eerie silence stole over the area as the gunshots stopped as abruptly as they started.

"Do you think he's run out of rounds?" Steven asked softly, muting his voice so only she could hear him.

"I don't know, maybe. But it might also be a trick." She looked towards the dumpster and saw the blood staining the front of one of the officer's uniform. The poor man had not been wearing his vest and she knew, even from this distance, that he had not survived. She felt the grief slam into her, quickly replaced by fresh anger. "We're just going to have to find out," she ground out, hugging the wall as she stepped towards the downed officers.

"Jaycey," Steven swore under his breath. Sighing, he followed her, his eyes searching for movement on the rooftop and finding none. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked her, his back to the brick wall.

"Helping them… If there's anything we can still do to…" she halted herself mid-sentence, her ears pricked. She put a finger across her lips and took the safety off her gun, waiting for another sound to guide her. There it was again, the crunch of pebbles under the sole of a boot."

"Get out of there, he's on top of you," Kelso called in the radio just as shots rang out from seemingly everywhere.

It all happened so fast it took a moment for Jaycey to take it all in. She felt something slam into her and heard the sickening thud of a body as it hit pavement. She glanced down in shock at the body of the lone shooter who'd fallen from the roof to his death, downed by a shot from Officer Cornell - who'd been shielded from her view by his fallen comrade. She also knew Kelso and his partner had fired a few shots as they called out to Steven and her to take cover, but that didn't explain what had hit her… She felt no pain and she knew from experience that you felt a healthy dose of it when a round slammed into your protective gear. So what had hit her then if not a projectile? She turned towards Steven to ask if he was okay, but the words stuck in her throat at the sight of Steven's blue eyes, wide with shock and pain. She saw the rapidly spreading crimson stain across the shoulder of his uniform and felt cold, hard panic slam into her.

"Officer down! Send the paramedics!" she screamed in her handset, applying pressure on his neck wound. "Please, tell me they're here," she pleaded brokenly, feeling the warm stickiness seep through her fingers. Steven's eyes were starting to glaze over and his breathing was getting shallower by the minute, his body dropping into shock. "Stay with me Steven. Don't you dare die on me or I swear I'll kill you," Jaycey tried to joke in an attempt to keep her terror at bay.

Steven's hand fluttered to her, softly brushing against her face and the tears she hadn't known were there. She felt the fine tremors go through him and willed him to hang in there and not leave her like this.

Jaycey heard footsteps hurrying towards her and nearly slumped with relief. "You hang in there baby, they'll patch you right up," she urged him, her gaze meeting his unseeing blue eyes. "Steven?" she prodded tentatively, hoping to rouse him from his shock-induced stillness, but her trained brain already knew what her heart wouldn't accept: the man she loved more than life itself - the one she should have married two months later - had been taken away from her just as surely as her father had been. Everything blurred and she started to scream…


	2. Chapter 1

3 years later - Washington, D.C.

Jaycey Matthews appeared serene as she navigated the corridors of the FBI's Hoover Building but inside, her stomach was churning with nervous apprehension. Fresh out of Quantico, this assignment was her first and, if she failed, would be her last – a fact made abundantly clear by the Assistant Director who'd given it to her. You'd think the threat to her career would have intimidated her more than the impending meeting with the counter-terrorism task force she was to assist.

She reached her destination and made an undetected entrance – the perfect opportunity to observe its seven occupants at will.

_Am I glad that A.D. Spencer provided me with a skimmed version of their profile!_

Sue Thomas and Lucy Dotson stood to the left of the bullpen, using ASL to communicate - Jaycey had read that Sue was partially deaf and could lip-read, an indisputable asset in surveillance. Slightly to their right sat special agent Myles Leland III, a man easily identified by his attire and choice of reading material – in this instance, the Wall Street Journal.

Jaycey started when someone yelled, "Heads up!" and she turned towards the voice just in time to see a football aiming at her. Reacting by instinct, she caught it a split second before it connected with her face.

"Woo hoo, good catch. Hey Spark, maybe we can recruit the sheila to play for our team in the next match against the D.E.A." The Australian accent, if not the incomprehensible words he used, told Jaycey she'd just found special agent Bobby Manning and her new team leader, special agent Jack Hudson. Her gaze only briefly connected with Jack's before landing on the most gorgeous man she'd seen in a long time. _His personnel file photo just doesn't do him justice_, she thought absentmindedly, drinking in the sight Bobby offered. His profile had said he was 6'3", weighed 200 pounds and had brown hair and green eyes. What it had failed to mention was that he was also built like a linebacker and that his brown hair was actually more chestnut than brown. A stubborn lock kept falling on his forehead, lending him a boyish charm that was entirely too appealing to Jaycey and, as if this weren't already bad enough, two dimples – one of her all-time weaknesses – kept appearing whenever he smiled…which Bobby Manning seemed to do a lot!

"We might have a better chance of her saying yes if you don't kill her with a football to the head first," came Jack's reply, though Jaycey really wasn't paying all that much attention to him.

"Of course, it can also only happen if she actually works for the F.B.I," a feminine voice on her immediate right piped in, cutting through the fog in Jaycey's brain and making her realize, with a start, that she'd been staring at Bobby for a few minutes. The amused glint in his eyes, coupled with the wink he sent her told her he had noticed…

"She's FBI," Jack said, his eyes traveling surreptitiously from Bobby to Jaycey and not missing the instant chemistry between the two. At least something was working in their favor! "Guys, meet Special Agent Jaycey Matthews. Miss Matthews, meet our team. To your right is Tara Williams, our…"

Jaycey interrupted him with a smile. "Computer expert with an Engineers degree in Computer Science from M.I.T. Graduated first of her entire promotion and consulted with the N.S.A. to design an impenetrable firewall that would later be used by all Governmental agencies."

"She did? Is that why you're the only one able to crack it?" Bobby asked Tara, looking at her with raised brows.

Jack could tell the moment Bobby realized something didn't add up because his expression changed from teasing to suspicious. "Hey, wait a minute! How come the sheila knows that about you but we didn't?"

Tara looked as puzzled as Bobby sounded and turned expectantly to Jack for an answer. Luckily, Dimitrus' entrance spared him the trouble. "Good, I see we're all here. Have the presentations been made yet?"

"Not formally. But we were learning quite a bit on our very own little Miss Tara though," Myles snickered. "I wonder what else we could have learned if Koala Boy here hadn't interrupted her."

"I'm more interested in what we would have found out about you Ebenezer," Bobby replied just as quickly, grinning from ear to ear. "Maybe you have a degree in Horticulture!" He turned to Jaycey, his eyes twinkling with merriment. "Tell us Special Agent Matthews: what's Myles' big secret?"

"No big secret there, I'm afraid. Myles Leland, third of the name. Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. PhD in Business Economics with a major in Linguistics from Harvard," Jaycey recited from memory, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"And when do we get the honor of learning more about her?" Myles inquired haughtily.

Dimitrus decided it was time to take back control of the situation. "Special Agent Matthews is here to assist us with this case," he said, passing folders to everyone in the room. He handed a DVD to Tara. "Can you put this up, please?"

Tara sat down at her desk and inserted the DVD, just as Dimitrus continued. "Last week, we received an anonymous tip on the old Castanza case. You'll remember that he escaped justice two years ago because we couldn't get any of his followers to turn on him."

A picture of a Latino man appeared on the wall-mounted screen. He looked to be in his forties and was deep in conversation with a man who had his back to the camera. "Tara, go to the second frame," Dimitrus instructed her calmly, his eyes on the members of his team.

Jaycey heard a collective gasp as the second picture appeared, clearly showing the face of the second man.

"It can't be..." Tara said softly, her eyes wide with shock.

"Simon Shaw aka The Sphinx," Dimitrus nodded, turning his attention to Jaycey. "Mr. Shaw is a British arms dealer that has successfully evaded not only the FBI, but also MI6 and Interpol for well over a decade. Whenever we thought we were closing in on him, he'd shut down his operation and go into deep hiding until everything quieted down for him, then he'd resurface and open a new operation."

"It was the Sphinx who supplied Al Qaeda with the weapons of mass destruction that were responsible for the 2002 bombing of the American Embassy in Urzukstan," Myles added, his eyes betraying the calm façade he presented.

Jaycey looked at the screen again, committing the image of the two men to memory. They were as different as was humanly possible when you considered their appearances. The man she assumed to be Castanza was stout, had bronzed skin and wore his dark hair in a ponytail. Simon Shaw, on the other hand, was tall and fair and sported a blond military crew cut.

"This meeting is very bad news, "Jack said, breaking the silence. "Jorge Castanza has never been shy about voicing his dislike of our Government. He's also managed over the past few years to enlist many faithful followers who go to great lengths to protect him and all he stands for. We know Jorge was behind the assassination attempt on the President last year and before that, he nearly succeeded in taking down the Secretary of Defense. But his getting together with Simon Shaw leads us to believe he is getting more serious than ever about establishing the supremacy of The Chosens."

"The Chosens?" Jaycey asked, speaking for the first time since the beginning of the briefing.

"That's the name of the movement ole' Jorge leads… though I personally would call that a cult over a movement," Bobby snickered. "He preaches that our nation would be better off not being governed by legislators and that we should be our sole master and commander. Of course, his ideology seems to be that while being our own person, we could use his guidance. He believes himself some kind of modern day guru, not above using violence to further his ambitions."

"Lovely character," Jaycey muttered under her breath.

"Yeah well… Lovely or not, he's not only on our watch list; he's also the only means we have to get to Simon Shaw. And this is why we needed you Special Agent Matthews," Dimitrus Dempsey said. "Castanza's MO has always been the same: he employs couples, and ONLY couples. If we had only wanted to get him, we would have sent in Jack and Sue; but we want the Sphinx too. And your expertise with weapons will be needed if we're to do that."

"I don't see why we needed to bring an outsider in for that," Myles said. "Jack used to be a sniper so I'd think he'd know his weapons well enough to get to Shaw. And if Jack didn't want to bring Thomas with him because it would put her in the line of danger, Tara could have gone with him as his loving and caring half."

"We can't chance sending Sue or Tara in because of their lack of knowledge in weaponry. Shaw is an arms dealer, and he was talking with Castanza. I'll let you do the math, but I can already tell you the result means weapons of mass destruction falling in Jorge's dirty little hands. We know Jorge's two weaknesses: beautiful women and his ego. We're betting he won't be able to resist showing how important he truly is in hopes of impressing Jaycey," D. continued, using Jaycey's name instead of her title for the first time. "So we want someone who'll not only be able to make him talk, but who'll also understand all that is going on and all he's saying. Since Jaycey will have the weapons know-how, we also feel safer sending in someone who can deal with bombs: and that's Bobby."

Jaycey's head snapped up. Bobby Manning and she would go undercover as a couple.

"Considering who we'll be dealing with, I am damn glad to work with a sheila who knows one end of a gun from another," Bobby grinned. "No offense, Tara."

"None taken, coming from a man who nukes his ice cream sandwiches…" Tara trailed off, eliciting a hearty laugh from Bobby.

Jaycey felt her heart do a little back flip at the sight of Bobby's dimples and she had to steel herself against the insane attraction she felt for the man. _Don't go there Jayce. You tried that with Steven and look what that got you: a broken heart. _

Just then, Bobby looked at her and smiled - not the flirty smile he had tossed her as she walked in earlier or his wicked grin when he noticed her eyes on him - this was a simple smile by all means, but for some reason it robbed her of breath, which made her mad. She had spent three years trying to mend her shattered hopes and dreams and there she was feeling weak in the knees at the sight of another tall and gorgeous man who could suffer the same fate as her late fiancé. Using her anger as a shield, she turned from Bobby and looked at Dimitrus. "I won't let you down."


	3. Chapter 2

Bobby felt oddly let down when Jaycey Matthews turned away from him without returning his smile. He was sure he hadn't mistaken the sparks that had fairly crackled to life the moment their eyes had met; and that puzzled him even more than Jaycey's reaction to him just now… Oh, he occasionally flirted with a woman here and there since his breakup with Darcy; but none of them had gotten to him on a deeper level. Not like this. He couldn't say he liked Jaycey having that power over him now. Shaking free of his thoughts, he concentrated on the case instead. "What will our cover be?"

"You'll pose as husband and wife: Robert and Joely Catherine Smith aka Bobby and JC – as in the letters J and C – Smith," Dimitrus said. "Tara worked on your background stories so I'll let her give you the details."

"You've been married two years and just recently moved to Washington, D.C. – which is why you're looking for a job. You currently lease a small house in north Mount Vernon Square, about 10 minutes from the Washington Convention Center. You're both active members of the NRA and Joely has written a few specification sheets and some documentation for a few of the weapons shown in their newsletter."

"Won't they be able to check that and see it's not true?" Jaycey asked, still unfamiliar with the whole undercover territory.

"We worked with the NRA in establishing that cover, going as far as having a few newsletters printed with JC Smith as author of said pieces. Funny enough, a few of the documents used were originally written by a J. Matthews, so we thought this was a funny coincidence," Tara explained with a soft chuckle.

"I only wrote about the 1911 style firearms, Glock and Smith & Wesson. How would writing about handguns impress your Sphinx?" Jaycey inquired, looking from Tara to Dimitrus.

"You wrote those articles?" D said, a wide smile spreading on his lips. "Did you hear that Jacky boy? Seems like we really lucked out this time, doesn't it?"

"What are you two yapping about?" Bobby blurted, voicing Jaycey's very own thoughts. "I mean, I get that it's great the sheila wrote those articles because she'll really know them and won't be tripped if they start asking questions; but I have a feeling there's more to it than just that. Come on Spark, spit it out," he finished, his green eyes intent on Jack and not missing the slight blush on his cheeks.

Jaycey didn't miss it either. "They doubted me," she said matter-of-factly, her voice hard and devoid of emotion. "I'm just a woman playing with guns in a man's backyard." She turned to Jack, her amber eyes flashing fire. "What went through your mind when you read I was a S.W.A.T. sniper in Chicago? Let me guess. 'A woman sniper: who ever heard of that? She probably slept with the SWAT leader so he let her pretend she knew what she was doing.' Am I close Special Agent Bishop?" she finished, fairly growling the words out.

"You're wrong, that thought never crossed my mind," Jack answered softly, carefully threading on very dangerous grounds. "But I did wonder how extensive your knowledge of weapons was, aside from your obvious expertise at firing them."

"And knowing that last part to be true, you still decided to piss the sheila off? Jack, you must be a braver man than I am, because I'd never even think twice about crossing a lady who can neuter me from a distance," Bobby deadpanned, hoping to alleviate the tension in the room. He breathed a sigh of relief when a clear laugh broke the shocked silence of the bullpen.

"Do you always go for shock value, Special Agent Manners?" Jaycey enquired the laughter still evident in her voice.

"You can call me Bobby; after all, we'll be married soon," he winked mischievously. "As for your question, I only go for it when a beautiful sheila with a chip on her shoulder the size of Queensland is giving my mate a hard time for being his usual worrywart self."

Jaycey arched her brow. "A chip the size of Queensland… Is that so?" she asked in a deceptively calm voice, the smile all but forgotten.

Bobby winced inwardly and heard Myles mutter something that sounded very much like 'This ought to be good' behind his back. He opened his mouth, hoping to say the right thing this time around, but she cut him off before he could even utter a single word.

"Whenever you guys want to see why I have this chip on my shoulder, just let me know. I'll enroll you in a flower arrangement class and let you see firsthand how much fun you have trying to fit in while retaining your own identity," she said, looking pointedly at Myles before turning back to glare at Bobby. "I'd love to see you put up with all the raised eyebrows and snide remarks made about your virility by your peers. And if this were some place you really wanted to be, I'd pay to see you defend your right to be there. Then and only then would we be able to talk; because unless you tried walking a mile in my shoes, I don't care what you have to say about me. I most likely already heard it all before," Jaycey stated, now standing toe to toe with Bobby.

With his own quick temper igniting, Bobby reacted before he had time to think. He wrapped his hands around Jaycey's upper arms and hauled her up to him, his mouth descending on hers to prevent more angry words. Feeling the tension invade her body, he lowered one strong arm and wrapped it around her waist, anchoring her to him and further reducing her range of motion; but there was one thing his kneejerk reaction to her anger hadn't accounted for, and it was his instant attraction to Jaycey. Without meaning to, Bobby's entire demeanor changed. His lips gentled and tried to coax an answer from Jaycey while his hand trailed up her arm to cradle her neck and angle her head for a better fit. The kiss probably would have gone on much longer if reality hadn't intruded in the form of an overzealous golden retriever trying to sneak between his body and Jaycey's.

Instantly reminded of where he was Bobby stepped back, feeling intense heat suffuse his cheeks. He refused to look at his coworkers; instead choosing to focus his attention on the woman standing in front of him. He didn't miss the quick play of emotion on her face before she schooled her features into a mask of indifference.

"Boy, do we have our work cut out for us," Jaycey said, barely hearing her own voice over the din of her wildly beating heart. She forced herself to look at Bobby as she delivered her final blow. "Special Agent Dempsey, do you think Assistant Director Spencer would pay for a crash course to improve Special Agent Manners' kissing technique? Because I just don't see how the Smiths would have stayed married past the honeymoon with a performance like this."

His eyes thunderous and promising retribution, Bobby took a step towards Jaycey, only to have Jack's hand on his arm stop his progress. He tried to shake it free, but Jack would have none of it and stepped in his line of vision, forcing Bobby to look at him. "Let it go Crash. We don't have time for this. She's our only hope of getting Castanza and the Sphinx or I wouldn't ask you to put up with her," he said in an aside so only Bobby would hear him. But he'd forgotten one detail.

"Jack!" Sue exclaimed, shocked. "Someone obviously put something in the coffee this morning because you're all acting weird. Bobby, this kiss was uncalled for and very demeaning. Would you have kissed Myles if he had been in your face and throwing the same accusations around as she was?" she asked, pointing in Jaycey's direction. The look of horror on Bobby's face nearly made her laugh. "I didn't think so. You'd either have put up with it or hit him. But because she's a woman, you kissed her instead."

"You're lucky she has more restraint than I do or you'd have been singing soprano by now," Lucy piped in, not above showing her own disappointment in Bobby's actions.

Myles snickered and got up, walking to align himself with Jack and Bobby. "What is this? 'Pick on the guys' day? Did I miss the memo that advised all male personnel to stay home this morning?"

"That's enough!" Dimitrus called out, loud enough to get everyone's attention and voice his displeasure. "I have to deal with two teenagers at home and the only place I can go to get away from all the bickering is the office. But today, I'd almost be tempted to go back home; because there is nothing as appalling as a bunch of squabbling FBI agents."

Everyone, Jaycey included, had the good grace to look ashamed. Dimitrus glanced from Bobby to Jaycey. "Now I don't care if you dislike each other, but you better put all those feelings aside and start acting like the trained professionals that you are." He raised a halting hand when he saw Bobby open his mouth to protest. "Save it, I don't want to hear it, Bobby. As for you Special Agent Matthews, I can appreciate that you probably had to put up with a lot of grief in Chicago; but this is D.C. and this is not SWAT but the FBI. If you're unable or unwilling to put all that behind you and give us your 100%, let me remind you where the door is. I'll personally call Assistant Director Spencer to let him know you won't be needed after all."

All eyes turned to Jaycey in time to see her square her shoulders and proudly lift her chin. Sue immediately felt bad for her when she saw the red tingeing her cheeks. Jaycey Matthews certainly was having a tough start in the FBI.

"You're right Sir. I'm sorry for my rude behavior. Based on what you've seen of me so far, I can see why you and Special Agent Bishop would have doubts about my aptitudes. Let me assure you both that, if you decide to still give me a chance, this won't ever happen again."

Dimitrus nodded. "Make sure of that Special Agent Matthews," he said, gentling the reprimand with a smile. He turned his attention to Bobby who now seemed slightly calmer. "Can I count on you to do your part too?"

Bobby grinned, but it lacked its usual luster. "You know me D. Quick Aussie temper, but I don't hold grudges."

Jack nearly choked on the coffee he was drinking but managed to disguise it. Bobby didn't hold grudges… _He only hated his father for 27 years after all, that's not considered a grudge, is it?_


	4. Chapter 3

Tara let her eyes stay on Bobby a moment longer than necessary, analyzing what she had just seen. Bobby Manning didn't usually let anyone ruffle his feathers; but Jaycey Matthews had slipped right past his armor and gotten him irked to the point that he'd seemingly forgotten where he was. That was an interesting development – potentially dangerous, but interesting. She idly wondered if that kiss had taken anyone else by surprise before she answered her own question. Of course it had… even Bobby hadn't seen it coming!

Looking around, she saw everyone had settled enough for her to continue with the briefing. "As I was saying," she started again, putting emphasis on the words to get everyone's attention, "You've been married two years and just recently moved to Washington, D.C. You lease a small house about 10 minutes from the Washington Convention Center and are both active members of the NRA. Joely has written a few spec sheets and documentation for them over the last year. You, Bobby, were in the Military back in Australia. You were a sniper and were court marshaled for firing your weapon at an enemy camp without authorization from your superiors."

"What? She gets to be an ace, and I get to be an arse?" Bobby exclaimed, clearly unhappy with his background.

"Do you want to get in or do you want to win the 'Humanitarian of the Year' award, sunshine?" Tara fired back, cutting his protests short with her logic. "I thought so too. This way, Jorge gets to believe that you have something against anything that even remotely represents the Government… and yes, this is one time where it's best to hold a grudge," she said cheekily.

"Sheila, you're entirely too naughty," Bobby laughed, belatedly realizing that his friends didn't deserve his attitude but his undercover wife…now that was another matter altogether. _My kissing technique needs work. Like bloody hell it does!_

Tara grinned back, bringing him back to the matter at hand. "We've located the agency Castanza usually deals with for all his personnel needs: the Jamieson Better Employment Agency. We contacted its owner, a certain Eileen Jamieson, and she agreed to meet you two and to pitch you to Castanza as the best fit for his needs. We tailored your backgrounds accordingly to what Jorge has asked; customizing it with other demands he had in the past. It seems Jamieson Better Employment is almost as good as the Bureau in keeping records."

"There's something I don't understand," Jaycey ventured hesitantly. "You made Robert Smith into a sniper; yet I read that Special Agent Manners is an explosives expert, not a sniper. Won't that pose a problem for the cover?"

"I've been giving Bobby sniper training for two months, so he knows enough to fool Castanza," Jack answered, somehow guessing that explanation wouldn't be enough to satisfy her. Their undercover assistant was getting to be a pain in the neck.

"But why take Jack's words at face value? I'll be happy to show you my skills if you're interested," Bobby snickered.

Jaycey briefly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _I think this is what they call self-sabotage. You just had to provide them with all the ammunition to hate your guts from the get-go. You really outdid yourself this time Jaycey, girl._

Bobby realized he went too far the moment the words were out of his mouth and one look at Jaycey's pained expression only confirmed it for him. He didn't recognize himself in this angry, confrontational man – but he knew he didn't like that new persona one bit. "That was uncalled for. I'm sorry," he apologized, taking a deep calming breath and letting it out slowly. "I think we really got off on the wrong foot here, so why don't I just walk out and walk back in, pretending none of this happened? Then we can start over and introduce ourselves."

Jaycey's eyes opened in surprise at Bobby's soft entreaty. She carefully studied the man standing in front of her, trying to decipher if he was being truthful or simply using a new tactic to unsettle her. She'd dealt with all sorts of unpleasantness since joining the Academy – and she'd had her share of humiliation – but the gentle honesty in Bobby Manning' green eyes convinced her he was actually apologizing to her… no tricks, no games. "I don't think that will be necessary, Special Agent Manners… Bobby," she amended, when he arched a brow at her use of his full title. She was rewarded with one of his lopsided grins.

"At least, now I know why I had all those early morning meetings with you and a gun, Sparky. And all along I thought you were only enjoying my sunny personality," Bobby smirked. "But back to business. The sheila does have a point: why exactly was I made into a sniper?"

Jack looked directly at Bobby. "Because we believe there is a greater probability Castanza will require a sniper instead of an explosives' expert. He never dealt with C4 before or any other kind of explosives, so we're going with his past MO but still, we can't eradicate the possibility there might be a bomb there. By placing you inside, we have your expertise working for us, without Jorge knowing anything about it."

"And you're sure I can fool him and the Sphinx into believing I'm sniper material? I only had two months to learn the basics of what snipers spend years learning."

"That's one thing we couldn't guarantee," Jack replied, his eyes apologizing. "You'll just have to wing it, Crash. It won't be the first time you've gone undercover and had to make stuff up on the fly."

"It's not the first time, no… maybe just the deadliest," Bobby said darkly.


	5. Chapter 4

"What's this?" Jack asked Jaycey as she dropped a sheaf of papers on his keyboard a few hours later.

"Let's call it reassurance in writing," Jaycey simply stated, not offering any more explanation. "I'm really sorry about earlier. I'm usually not this emotional and I can't tell you why I was today. Let's just say I was having a bad day and leave it at that – not that it's an excuse or anything," she quickly added, standing proudly in front of him. "Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow boss man; good night everyone."

"Good night Jaycey," Sue softly answered back, watching the striking redhead leave the bullpen. She looked so alone and isolated, just as she had most of the afternoon, sitting at her temporary desk and working on the document Jack was now holding.

"What is it?" Dimitrus asked Jack, moving closer to his desk to have a look.

"I don't know," Jack said, flipping through the pages. "Seems to be some kind of essay… on the history of the M72 LAW," he finished, his words slowing down as he read a few lines. "Tara, can you look at Special Agent Matthews' online activity and tell me what kind of searches she did online?"

"Sure," Tara's fingers started flying on her keyboard, "but mind explaining to me why I'm doing that?"

"That's an answer I'd like to get myself," Sue added, her hazel eyes openly studying Jack.

"I want to be certain this is not something she copied off the Internet without knowing a single word of it." Sensing Sue's eyes on him, he turned towards her and saw the reproach in her beautiful eyes. "What?"

"I've never seen you act this way before. Even when I attacked you that first day in the bullpen, thinking this was Personnel… you never took offense and just told me it was a good speech – a bit on the defensive side maybe – but that I would have time to work on it all the way to Personnel. You took it all in stride and looked me up, offering me my first real chance with the Bureau. Why can't you do the same thing with Jaycey Matthews?"

"The incident with you was different. You only walked in that office wanting fair treatment based on your merit and qualifications, not on your perceived handicap. You were standing up for yourself and I could only applaud that, Sue but Jaycey Matthews walked in here perceiving personal attacks at every turn whether they were there or not. That, I have an issue with," Jack answered, his jaw set at an unforgiving angle.

"Maybe Jaycey was simply standing up for herself," Tara shot back, her eyes locked on her computer display. "Her terminal shows no online activity."

Jack raised the sheets of papers in the air. "She was on the computer, I have the proof here."

Tara raised patient eyes to Jack, smiling his way. "I said there was no online activity, not that she wasn't on the computer, Jack. She used the Word processor, but she never as much as opened a browser to check emails which means that what you have there was written solely by Jaycey Matthews."

"Hey Jack, did you know that the Russians mirrored their RPG-18, RPG-22, RPG-26 and RPG-27 on our very own M72 LAW?" Dimitrus asked, still reading the report Jaycey had written.

"No, I didn't know that," Jack sighed having heard that question far too often in the past hour.

"Seems that Talley Defense System was the first to create light anti-armor weapons and that a lot of other countries based their LAW on ours though Saab is now innovating with the NLAW… I thought Saab made cars?" he continued as though Jack had given him some sort of encouragement to keep going.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" Jack asked pointedly with a raised brow. Luck obviously wasn't on his side today because Dimitrus only grinned and remained right where he was. "Apparently not..."

"Come on Jack, snap out of it mate. The sheila shot me down in flames; yet, you're the one doing all the skulking," Bobby snickered good-naturedly. "You were afraid she wouldn't be up to par when all along you should have been worrying about me it seems."

"I'm not so sure about that Bobby; but I hope you're right… about her being up to playing her part I mean," he hurriedly added when Bobby all but fell off his chair. "What's with everyone picking on me today?" he muttered to himself.

"More to the point, what's with you turning into Myles?" Bobby retorted, having heard his mumblings.

"Careful Koala Boy or I'll sign you up for that kissing class myself," Myles snickered, not bothering to look up from his paperwork. "Oh, how I wish this moment could have been saved for posterity."

"Tara? Can you hack into the National Arboretum's database and print me a list of all their volunteers – focus especially on the gardeners please?" Bobby demanded slowly, only grinning wider when Myles's wide eyes came to rest on him. "On second thought Tara, cancel that… We can always do it some other time… when we're not so busy with the case."

Tara rolled her eyes and shook her head, her fingers still flying over her keyboard. "Ah. Come to mamma," she whispered, talking to herself. "There we are!"

"Where?" Bobby asked, coming to stand behind her chair.

"Jaycey Matthews' personnel file," Tara simply said, moving her chair aside so he could look over her shoulder.

"You could have asked me," Dimitrus said from his post by Jack's desk. "Assistant Director Spencer sent me all her evaluations and grades from Quantico, as well as all the notes made by her instructors."

"I was talking about her Chicago PD personnel file," Tara answered; apparently uncaring that she'd just hacked her way to those files. "It contains all her psych evaluations, any complaints that might have been filed against her, all her work history with the Department."

"And two incident reports linked to her," Bobby said in a tight voice, "one dating back to 1990 when her father, Officer Ralph Matthews, was killed in the line of duty. He and his partner were just stopping to get a coffee when a dope head gunned them down. He was stoned and thought they were there to arrest him for a liquor store robbery he had perpetrated one week before. It says here Jaycey was 7 years old when that happened."

"And the other..?" Lucy asked in a soft voice, thinking about her own father.

"It was filed three years ago when her partner was killed while answering a call for immediate assistance. They were on patrol when a request for backup came. Jaycey and her partner answered, as did two other officers: officers Kelso and Adams. A lone shooter had ambushed two policemen and they tried to get them out of there, but the shooter was on the roof and walked up on them, killing Steven Nelson – her partner," Tara read. "There was an investigation into the whole incident to determine whether Jaycey and Steven had made a mistake and she was cleared of any wrongdoing."

"Someone shouldn't have to go through this ordeal twice in a lifetime," Sue mused aloud, her heart going out to Jaycey.

"There's something I don't get" Tara cut in with a perplexed expression. "Maybe you guys can help me understand this but… Jaycey graduated from the Academy first of her promotion and most of her instructions considered she was on the right path to make a great detective… yet she was still a patrolwoman after three years. Isn't that unusual?"

"Have you looked at her periodical reviews?" Jack asked his interest piqued. "Every Police Department is required to evaluate its staff on a regular basis, usually every six to nine months or so. Maybe she didn't quite fulfill the promises she showed as a rookie?"

Tara scrolled through the file, looking more and more puzzled. "Is it possible those files are not kept electronically? Because I don't see anything here… and there seems to be a few missing pages from her days at the Academy too. I didn't notice before but page 7 is missing from her instructors' evaluation sheets."

Jack's brow furrowed and he got up, joining Bobby and Tara at her desk. "Let me see that?" he asked, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. And that feeling only got worse as he read on. "Something's not adding up. This file is incomplete, and I wanna know why."

Bobby straightened up; his expression even more serious than it had been before. "You're not the only one mate."


	6. Chapter 5

Jaycey dropped the plate she was drying when a knock resounded at her door. Looking at the pieces of broken corning ware on her floor, she cursed under her breath, gingerly trying to make her way out of her tiny apartment kitchen. She succeeded in her endeavor and was halfway across her sparsely furnished living room when the second knock came. "I'm coming, hold your damn horses," she muttered to herself, reaching the door and looking through the peephole. She couldn't stop a groan from escaping when all she saw was a flashy FBI badge obstructing the face of her visitor. Still, there was no need to see the green eyes and sharp features to know Bobby Manning had just found her. "What do you want?" she asked crossly, opening the door.

"I want many things," he said tentatively, leaning against her doorjamb. "I want to apologize for the way I made an ass of myself and insulted you today. I also wanted to welcome you to the team properly… But mostly, I wondered if you'd be willing to talk and shed some light on a few matters that have been driving me nuts since you left the bullpen today, after dropping your little exposé on Jack's desk."

Jaycey arched a brow and crossed her arms over her chest, canting her head to the side as she studied Bobby. "Still not satisfied with my qualifications, Special Agent Manners?"

"Oh no, it has nothing to do with that. Your qualifications seem to be exemplary. I believe you even had Sparky stumped on some of the info you provided in that document. No, it's something else," he hurriedly answered, his green eyes taking in her closed stance and careful expression. "Look Jaycey… may I come in? I promise I won't manhandle you or anything. I just want to talk… if that's okay with you?"

Jaycey took a few steps back and invited him in, feeling her apartment shrink the moment he entered it. She'd found out amazingly quick that housing in Washington, D.C. was not for the faint of heart. This microscopic apartment was costing her as much money as her spacious 2-bedrooms apartment back home. The only difference is that she had to sell most of her furniture because it no longer fit anywhere so she slept on her couch, dined on it and pretty much everything else there too.

As the silence stretched, she tried to look at her dinky place through Bobby's eyes. Her black leather couch and TV were the only remnants of her old life and pretty much ate up all of the living room. She'd been able to cram in one small end table so she could have a place to eat in front of the TV, but even that had been a 'tour de force'. Her kitchen, with the broken dish littering the floor, looked like something taken out of the history channel – after Hiroshima. She didn't cook; in fact, she preferred ordering in whenever possible. It was the most appealing alternative to frozen dinners. So her kitchen reflected that fact. It was bland, lifeless and had that unlived in feeling. She often wondered why she had bothered putting a stove in there. She could have just put in one of those sniper arcade games; at least that way she'd have spent some time in that room.

"Can I offer you anything to drink?" she finally asked, unable to stand the silence one more minute. "I have Heineken beer, Pepsi, orange juice or water."

"I'll take whatever you're having," Bobby said, letting his eyes roam. "This is… cozy," he finished lamely, unable to find another word.

"Come on, you can say it: I've seen prison cells that were bigger than this whole apartment," Jaycey smirked, stopping on her way to the kitchen to put some shoes on.

"What happened in there?" Bobby asked, noticing the glass for the first time. "Had a fight with a dish and it won?"

"Very funny," Jaycey snickered, fighting back a grin. But Bobby heard it in her voice, and it made him feel ten feet tall.

"There you go," Jaycey said, handing a bottle of Heineken to Bobby. "I figured a big manly man like you wouldn't dare drink his beer from a glass," she smirked, taking a healthy pull of her own bottle.

Bobby grinned without answering, his eyes drawn to the column of her throat as she swallowed the Dutch beverage. He'd never really been someone to take notice of a woman's neck before – he had a thing about shapely legs and sexy mouths, but necks… that had never been the one body part that got him going. But for some reason he couldn't fathom, Bobby couldn't stop imagining his lips brushing against Jaycey's slender neck, feeling her smooth satiny skin warm up under his soft caress. He could almost taste the sweetness that would be her against his tongue, hear the soft breathy sigh she'd let out… Realizing the dangerous territory his thoughts were entering, Bobby jerked himself back to reality and took a long swig of his own beer, enjoying the feel of the amber liquid as it slid down his suddenly parched throat.

"So tell me Special Agent Manners, how did you find me? Did you have me followed or did you put a tracker on my vehicle?"

"Nothing as extravagant as that I'm afraid. I'm just pretty resourceful and I looked into your Personnel file," he smirked, obviously very pleased with himself.

"Well, Special Agent Bishop and Dempsey would have it in their possession so I guess it made it easier on you," Jaycey said speculatively, inviting Bobby to take a seat. "And I'm sure you're not trying to hide the real reason behind your need to find me tonight, because you could have waited to apologize to me tomorrow morning."

"What if I was to tell you I was afraid I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight because of a guilty conscience," Bobby smiled easily, sitting on Jaycey's comfortable black leather couch.

"I'd say it was a plausible explanation… but an unlikely one," Jaycey replied smartly, sitting on one of the couch's armrest.

"Why would you say that?" Bobby enquired slowly, his penetrating gaze locking with hers. "Do you doubt I have a conscience, Jaycey?"

"No. No I don't," she whispered, mesmerized by the heat and intensity she saw banked in his green eyes. There was no denying the fact Bobby Manning was a man of passion: he laughed as easily as she'd once done and his temper was as quick to ignite as hers. And there was no mistaking the pull of attraction strumming between them. But while a part of her thrilled at the discovery, the other part of her – the one that had been trampled on over and over again – wanted to run scared. Passion was fiery; and fire burned everything in its wake, without discrimination.

"You asked me earlier what it was I wanted," Bobby spoke in a husky voice. "And as much as I don't like the answer – not anymore than you do – it seems I can't help but want you."

Jaycey's reaction was visceral. She jumped up from the couch, her eyes widening in shock. "I thought you said you wouldn't manhandle me or anything? I guess 'or anything' didn't include telling me you wanted to jump my bones," she proffered with far less bite than she had intended. "I think it's time you went home Special Agent Manners," she said, stopping short when a strong hand captured hers.

"Look at me Jaycey," Bobby murmured softly. "I'm not threatening you or forcing myself on you. I just thought you should know the truth." He paused, frowning slightly. "Don't think for one minute that I like this any more than you, sheila, because I don't. I don't want more drama in my life; and this thing between us… this is one heck of a bloody complication."

Jaycey turned her head slightly, looking at Bobby from beneath her lowered lashes. "Then just pretend there's nothing going on; it will eventually disappear," she heard herself plead, feeling shame creep up her neck and blossom in her cheeks.

That broken whisper got to Bobby with even more force than the verbal assault she'd launched against him that morning. Now certain that something had happened in Chicago to make the headstrong woman he'd encountered earlier afraid of the instant connection between them, Bobby moved slowly, intent on not frightening her more than she already was. He placed his beer on the tabletop and rounded the couch, not letting go of her hand. "Come here," he entreated softly, pulling her resisting form against his body. "I'm not in the habit of lying to myself luv. The last time I tried that, it nearly destroyed me, my career, and everyone I care about," he whispered against her temple, his arms loosely enfolding her.

Jaycey tried to put some distance between her body and Bobby's, but he held her fast, locking his gaze with her, letting her know she was safe with him. But safety was the last thing she felt with her heart hammering against her chest like a trapped bird. "I'm not asking you to lie, Bobby… merely to ignore it," she protested, worrying her bottom lip.

Bobby's eyes followed the movement and he groaned helplessly watching the small white teeth bite into the soft lushness of her mouth. "Don't do this Jayce," he implored, unknowingly using the nickname Steven had given her.

Jaycey's body went ramrod still as instant tears filled her eyes. "Don't call me that. Don't ever call me that again," she said haltingly, feeling the past close in on her heels.

Bobby's heart constricted at the sight of her tears and he found himself pulling her against his chest, one hand threading in her long red tresses to hold her against his heart. "Shhhhh luv," he crooned, not knowing why the name held so much power over her, but past caring. "It's okay, I won't use it again. I'm sorry I hurt you Jaycey."

Jaycey fought to regain some composure, but it was impossible to do when Bobby was so close. His bittersweet embrace reminded her of all she lost with Steven and invited her to give in to the temptation of letting Bobby chase her demons away…

Bobby closed his eyes and released the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding when Jaycey wrapped her arms around his waist and moved closer. Not wanting to examine his actions too closely, he brushed his lips against her temple and started to move with her, dancing to an imaginary song.

"What are you doing to me?" Jaycey whispered softly, splaying her fingers against his back and following his lead. "I don't want to need you Bobby Manning. Don't make me want you."

Bobby smiled without mirth. "I don't know for you luv, but I think it's already too late for me. If someone had told me this morning that you'd blow my quiet life apart, I might have been tempted to stay in bed and call in sick. But as it is, we'll just have to wing it from here."

Jaycey lifted her head and looked into Bobby's eyes, her own questioning. "I know I sound like a broken record but, what is it you want from me Bobby: a relationship, a quick meaningless affair?"

Bobby lowered a finger to her lips to quiet her. "I don't know Jaycey, I guess I just want a chance to get to know you… and for you to get to know me. I'm not planning on starting anything that you won't agree to, luv." He remained silent for a moment, searching for the right words. "To be totally honest with you, I don't know if I could do the whole relationship thing. Past experience has taught me I'm not too good at it…"

"That's good. I mean… I'm not ready for a relationship myself. The last time didn't end too well for me and I'm still recovering from it," Jaycey said, carefully measuring her words.

"Then I guess it takes care of that question for us," Bobby smiled gently, his eyes haunted with images of his own past. "It's probably for the best too: there's this regulation that the Bureau doesn't allow intra-team dating…"

"Yeah, we don't even like each other that much anyways; it's just that damn chemistry between us," Jaycey added, wetting her lips.

Bobby's gaze zeroed in on her lips and he let out a pained groan. "You're killing me sheila. Don't you know what that does to me?" He slowly exhaled, trying to release some of the pent-up hunger in him. "It makes me think of kissing you until we're both out of breath and the world is spinning out of control. But then, that would be a very bad idea since you don't like my kisses all that much," he finished with a smirk.

"About that," Jaycey started, lifting a hand to play with his soft tousled hair, "I may have been a bit hasty with my judgment." She felt Bobby's big frame tremble as her words registered with him and before she had time to change her mind, she rose on tiptoes and kissed him.

Bobby's arms tightened around Jaycey and he pulled her hard against him the moment her lips skimmed his. She'd surprised him yet again. He hadn't thought she had it in her to brave her fears and what exactly - seduce him, turn his world upside down and his heart inside out? His thoughts were cut short when Jaycey deepened the kiss and touched her tongue to his. Following his instincts, Bobby wrapped his left arm around her hips and lifted Jaycey to bring her to his level, his right hand moving to thread in her hair and angle her head back.

Jaycey let out a strangled squeal when she felt her feet leave the floor and hurriedly threw her arms around Bobby's neck. _What was I thinking? I should have known this would happen_, she thought hazily, losing herself to the magic Bobby was wreathing around her. Despite what she'd said to the contrary, Bobby Manning knew how to kiss and sweep a woman off her feet. Strangely enough, it was that last thought that made her break away from the kiss, laughing.

Bobby looked at her dazedly, trying to get his bearing. "What?" His eyes finally focused on her, taking in her red cheeks and puffy lips. _Lord she is beautiful_. He idly wondered if he'd be able to see her tomorrow in the office and not remember her as she was right now, with that thoroughly kissed look on her face.

"I was just thinking you knew how to sweep a woman off her feet," she gasped helplessly, wriggling her feet in the air and bumping them into Bobby's shins.

Bobby groaned and laid his forehead against hers, not releasing his hold on her. "You'll be the death of me yet, sheila. First you tell me I can't kiss, and now you start laughing when I give it another shot. My ego just won't recover," he snickered, feeling oddly comfortable with her despite the fact he'd been kissing her like his world depended on it minutes earlier.

"Maybe, but this time I said you knew how to sweep a woman off her feet," Jaycey reminded him, laughing anew when his dimpled smile reappeared.

"Heck, this means I made huge progress with you, doesn't it? So we're not heading for marriage counseling anytime soon?"

"Nah, I'll give you another try," Jaycey said before the heat in Bobby's eyes made her fully realize what she'd said. "Er, I didn't mean that like it sounded," she hurriedly added to cover her tracks.

"Too bad, I rather liked my interpretation of it," Bobby smirked, placing a soft kiss on her lips. Unable – or maybe unwilling – to stop there, he gave her another one, followed by yet another…and a final lengthy kiss. "I better go now because you're dangerous to my good intentions. I forget I don't like you all that much," he deadpanned, using the words she'd thrown at him earlier.

"Very funny Manners but there's just one thing before you go," Jaycey uttered softly, bringing her lips within reach of Bobby's and hovering there.

"Yes?" He inched slightly forward, intent on answering her silent invitation.

"You need to put me down first." And she just winked saucily at him when he groaned.


	7. Chapter 6

Jack stopped dead in his tracks the next day when he saw Bobby already sitting at his desk, doing some of his paperwork. "Bobby? What are you doing here? It's only," he looked at his watch, "8:30. You're never here on time, let alone early!"

"Very funny, I just thought I'd start early with my expense report. As usual, I'm sure Randy will find something wrong with it, so this will leave me some time to get it right and still get my money this month."

Jack stopped by Bobby's chair and looked at all the papers strewn across the desk. "And how long have you been at it?" he asked, his eyes falling on the piece of paper Bobby was intently studying.

"I don't know. Maybe about an hour…give or take a few," Bobby answered distractedly.

"I'm sure it would go faster if you didn't have to look at it upside down," Jack smirked, righting the paper Bobby was holding. "Come on, why don't you tell me why you're really here? Does it have anything to do with your newest assignment and the person who'll be working it with you?"

Bobby growled low in his throat. "I wish you'd phrase that differently mate. The last thing I need right now is the thought of working it with Jaycey Matthews."

"I take it you didn't get your answers last night?" Jack enquired, sitting on the edge of Bobby's desk.

Bobby let out a disgusted sigh and threw the paper slip in his hands on top of the others in the pile. "I didn't ask any of the questions I had when I left here. Instead, I got a few answers to questions I should never have asked to begin with."

"Like what?" Jack asked, half-fearing the answer.

Bobby leaned back in his chair and looked at Jack, a lost look on his face. "You were here Jack; so you already know the answer to that. I just don't get it. Why her? Why now?"

"It's been a while since Darcy. Maybe you're just ready to join the land of the living again. Jaycey is an attractive woman, so it's probably just a normal reaction you're having," Jack ventured.

"I really hope it's as simple as that Jack because I can't take much more of the roller coaster I'm on."

"You're selling yourself short Bobby; you're much stronger than you give yourself credit for. Listen, I'm not saying she's Miss Right but I know you weren't meant to live your life cut off from everyone," Jack stated.

"Maybe I should come back later," a small hesitant voice said, putting an abrupt halt to their discussion.

Jack and Bobby both turned towards the bullpen entrance and saw Jaycey standing there, looking uncertain and ready to bolt at the first provocation. Jack would never know what prompted him to look back at Bobby at that instant; but what he saw in his best friend's eyes, he wouldn't soon forget…

"Jaycey!" Bobby shot to his feet and had to physically restrain himself from going to her and enfolding her in his arms, a reaction that scared him even as it enticed him. _Why can't I see her without wanting to make a fool of myself in front of everyone? Why can't I just be happy to see her and leave it at that? _But then, he remembered the way she kissed him back, the fire they generated, and a slow smile softened his features. Oh yeah! He knew exactly why he couldn't just leave it well enough alone!

Jaycey opened her mouth, but the words she was about to say remained locked in her throat when a hand pressed against the small of her back. "Excuse me," she heard, recognizing Dimitrus Gans' voice just in time to stop her first gut reaction. _Oh my Gosh! I nearly went black belt on my new supervisor. If I keep this up, I'll be flipping burgers at Mickey D instead of flipping my badge… _She broke from her revelry when a soft snicker reached her ear. Looking up, she saw Dimitrus Dempsey glancing from the wall-mounted clock to Bobby.

"Is your apartment being fumigated today?"

Bobby arched a questioning brow at D's question. "Are you saying my place is a roach race track?" he smirked good-naturedly.

"No, but I didn't think anything could get you out of bed this early…short of an atomic bomb," Dimitrus grinned back, resuming his trek to his own desk.

"Doesn't work," Jack mumbled around a mouthful of Krispy Kreme. "I tried that once and he slept right through it."

Bobby rolled his eyes at his best friend's antics. "It was M.A.S.H. reruns, not real C4 under my mattress… though I still appreciate you making the distinction back then Sparky," he winked almost as an afterthought. "And anyways, aren't you two supposed to be picking on the new sheila instead of me?" he inquired, his eyes sparkling with merriment as he glanced quickly at Jaycey.

"Oh no, you're NOT bringing me into this one Manners," she shot back, finally stepping into the bullpen and taking her cue from the general mood. "I'm finding this all so very…educational," she smirked, taking a seat at her desk.

"Traitor," Bobby silently mouthed her way, flashing his dimples.

"Not nearly as educational as I found the paper you wrote yesterday," Dimitrus interjected, jerking Jaycey's attention away from Bobby's devilish charm and back to work. "Where did you learn all that information?"

"I've always been an avid reader and I'm blessed with a photographic memory, which comes in handy when you're in law enforcement."

"Speaking of law enforcement," Jack said seizing the opportunity when it presented itself, "I wondered why someone as gifted as your instructors seemed to believe remained a patrolwoman for three years. Who did you piss off, Special Agent Matthews?"

"Jack!" Jack looked beyond Jaycey Matthews and saw Sue, Tara and Lucy looking at him with incomprehension in their eyes. And he couldn't blame them because he himself couldn't figure out why he was seemingly out to get their new rookie.

"You're right, I had to have done something," Jaycey spoke calmly, her eyes going to Bobby for strength. "I mean, it's unheard of to encounter a superior who immediately dislikes one of their new rookies and make their life a living hell. Why, I'm sure no one in this room would stand for that kind of behavior," she finished, turning to face Jack. "Still, I don't see the need to rehash my past with you or anyone else for that matter. So I'd much prefer if we concentrated on the case at hand. That way I can get out of your face sooner rather than later…that ought to make you happy, no?"

Bobby nearly applauded Jaycey's calm and collected attitude and he would have applauded her if it had not meant siding with her against his best friend. And that was one tough place to be at the moment.

_I wonder what's with you mate, but you've had my back so many times…it's my turn to have yours. I just hope you don't make me choose between you and that sheila…because I'm not sure my choice would be as easy down the road as it is now._

"I don't know who you are," Lucy said looking at Jack, "but I think I speak for everybody when I say we want our friendly Jack back, and quickly. That new song and dance routine of yours is not your best performance to date and is rather getting tiring."

"Lucy," Jack started to say, only to be interrupted by Myles' flamboyant entrance.

"Good morning fair-weathered friends. Glad to see everyone is still standing with all body parts attached where they were anatomically meant to be," he deadpanned, handing Bobby, Jack and Dimitrus a small wrapped box.

"What is this?" Dimitrus asked him, eyeing the white box in his hand as if something dangerous was bound to pop out of it. Bobby's hoot of laughter was his only answer. He looked at the tall Aussie and saw him holding…no, that couldn't be!

"Good on ya mate. Are you wearing yours?" Bobby laughed, dangling a jockstrap from his long fingers.

"I never leave home without it," Myles snickered, a devilish glint in his eyes as he strode towards Jaycey. "And since we have one ballsy lady in our midst, I figured she could use one too…especially if we're to have a repeat of yesterday's events. I hope you'll forgive me Special Agent Matthews, but I wasn't sure if pink was your color so I went neutral," he stated, handing her a white Jill strap.

Bobby's laughter only doubled at the sight and he had to hold on to the edge of his desk for support. Why, even Jack had to fight a smile off when he saw Jaycey's reaction to Myles' offering! It was obvious by her shocked expression that Myles's special brand of humor hadn't been discussed in his profile.

"That's…too kind," Jaycey stammered at a loss for word, though not for long. "Is this a one size fits all or did you keep your receipt, just in case?"

"I figured you'd need a large – at the very least," Myles grinned before turning to walk to his desk.

_What's going on here? If I didn't know any better, I'd think someone was playing a practical joke on me. Based on the personnel files, Jack Bishop is supposed to be the friendly agent and Myles Leland, the prickly and uptight one. Yet I'm getting the exact opposite!_

"Don't let Myles' upbringing fool you," Sue said softly as she stopped by Jaycey's desk. "Blue blood may flow through his veins, but he's as real as any of us here."

"I'm starting to see that," Jaycey answered pensively. "We all have more facets than is shown on paper, don't we?"

Sue's soft smile was the only answer she needed.


End file.
